


The Scorpion

by FrankenSpine



Series: Across the Stars [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Aliens, Androids, Bandits & Outlaws, Bounty Hunters, Clones, Cyborgs, Dark Past, Drama & Romance, F/F, F/M, Insecurity, Missing Persons, Moral Ambiguity, Multi, Slavery, Space Opera, Spaceships, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-11-18 15:27:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18123059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrankenSpine/pseuds/FrankenSpine
Summary: Henry Swan, now a Starship Captain in his own right, is determined to track down his missing mother and prove himself worthy as a leader. He will make many new allies, as well as a few enemies, along the way.*The sequel to the Hyperion. You MUST read that first in order to understand this!*





	1. Welcome Aboard the Scorpion

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you will enjoy this sequel as much as its predecessor, if not more :)

_“I need you to help me find my mother.”_

The bartender grew tense. “I don’t do that anymore.”

Henry frowned. “And why not? You’re the best at what you do.”

“At what I _did,_ you mean,” said Jack, “This is my life now.”

“And are you happy?”

The brunette narrowed her eyes at him. _“Excuse me?”_

 _“Are you happy?”_ the Captain repeated, staring her dead in the face.

“O-Of course I am! Just who do you think you are, coming in here and asking me a question like that?”

“If you aren’t happy with this life— and I can see that you aren’t— then I can change that.”

“What are you, a wish-granter? You certainly don’t look like one.”

A sly smirk crept onto Henry’s lips. “I can make all your wishes come true,” he said, “for a price, of course.”

“So you’re a con-artist, then. Got it.”

Henry scoffed. _“No,”_ he said firmly, “I really do need your help, Jack—”

 _“Stop using that name,”_ the bartender hissed, “It’s just _J_ now. Jack’s dead.”

“Well then, _J,_ how about you dig up old Jack out of retirement and come with me? I’ve got money. I’m willing to pay as much as you want. I’ll even get on my knees and beg, if you like.”

Now it was J who scoffed. “Now _that,_ I’d like to see.”

Henry’s smirk was quick to return. “Too bad. I may have fibbed a bit. That’s never going to happen.”

“I thought as much.” J put her hands on her hips and eyed the man up and down curiously. “You know, it’s funny,” she said.

“What is?”

“You, sitting here with your gun aimed at me like some kind of gangster,” said J, “while the safety is off.”

Henry gasped and swiftly reached to switch on the safety, but J had already grabbed her gun from beneath the counter and had it aimed at the man’s head. The other patrons gasped as they saw this, murmuring fearfully to one another.

 _“Don’t move,”_ she threatened, “Now I want the truth, Mister. Who are you and what are you _really_ doing here?”

Henry’s eyes were squeezed shut. “Everything I told you was the truth!” he insisted, “I’m Captain Henry Swan. My mother has been missing for about two years now, and I need your help. It took me months to track you down. Please. Don’t kill me. I’ll pay you whatever you want. My aunt is the Queen.”

This caused J to falter a bit. “Did I hear that right? Did you just say your aunt is Queen Regina?”

“Yes!”

“Well, you don’t look like her,” said J, “Not even a little bit.”

“Alright, fine, she’s my adoptive-aunt!” Henry said, panicking, “But she’s still my aunt! She’s got the money, I swear! Please don’t blow my head off!”

J laughed. “Some _Captain_ you are. You’re no Captain. You’re just a _boy,_ playing pretend! You haven’t even got your whiskers on yet! Get out of here, and don’t ever let me catch you hanging around my bar again!”

Henry grabbed the golden disk from the counter and stuffed it back into his pocket. He tucked away his gun and turned to leave with his head down, but just before he walked out the door, he paused. He raised his head and spoke without so much as glancing back at the bartender.

_“What would Jack have done?”_

And then he was gone.

J watched him warily as he left, unsure how to respond. She frowned, going over the whole ordeal in her mind. He had seemed so confident— so sure of himself, like he really believed what he was saying— and for a moment, she’d actually believed him, too.

“You alright, J?” asked one of the patrons.

J hesitated. “Huh? Oh. Yes, Mr. Flynn,” she said, “I’m fine. It’s just— that kid, whoever he is— there’s something strange about him.”

“I’ll say,” said Flynn, “You ever seen him before?”

“Can’t say I have.”

“Well, he seemed to know quite a bit about you.”

“Yes,” said J, “he certainly did.”

“You think he’s an assassin? Maybe one of Pan’s boys?”

J shook her head. “No. Pan only recruits children. This kid looked to be about twenty. Too old for Pan’s little cult, but still so young. I couldn’t get a good read on him. He kept talking about his mother, and how he was the Queen’s nephew.”

“What was his name?” asked Flynn.

“He said it was Henry Swan.”

The older man’s eyes widened. “By the Gods,” he whispered.

J frowned. “What? What is it?”

“I’ve heard stories about him. He’s the youngest Starship Captain in history. They say he’s like a phantom. Here one moment— gone the next. They say he’s got the strength of a dozen men.”

The brunette scoffed. _“Him?_ He couldn’t harm a fly! Why, he didn’t even have the safety off on his blaster!”

“I didn’t say he was _smart,_ J, but he _is_ strong.”

\---

“You _idiot!”_

Henry gasped and ducked as his Si-Com swung her satchel at his head. It narrowly missed him. He put his hands up when she came at him a second time.

“I told you I should have gone in there instead, but _no!_ You just HAD to do it yourself! Why didn’t you at least let me join you?!”

“I’m sorry! I just thought I could handle it! I wanted to play it cool, you know? That’s what Ma would do!”

“Well, in case you haven’t noticed, she isn’t here!”

This made Henry snap. “You think I haven’t noticed?!” he barked, “She’s _missing,_ Mal! I swore that I would do everything I could to find her! Our best bet is Jack!”

“And thanks to your incompetence, she wants nothing to do with you!”

“Why don’t you go in, then?” the Captain shouted. “It’s a bit late for that, don’t you think?!”

_“ENOUGH!”_

The two gasped and looked towards the doorway. There stood a tall brunette with lilac skin, short, curly hair, and a black patch over her left eye. She did not look pleased. The pair sunk into themselves, both red in the face.

“What’s going on here? You two are behaving like a couple of children!”

“Henry decided to piss off Jack, and now she’s not going to help us!”

“Henry, is this true?”

“I was just trying to negotiate!”

“And how exactly did you go about it? Did you show her the comm?”

“Of course!”

“Is that all?”

“I— I may have shown her my gun.”

“Henry! You weren’t supposed to _threaten_ her!”

“I’m sorry, okay?! It won’t happen again!”

“You’re damn right it won’t!” shouted the Si-Com, “She’ll never trust us now!”

 _“Malacoda,”_ the brunette said firmly, “Enough. You two stay here. I will see if I can sort things out with Jack— and no more fighting! If I find so much as a _scratch_ on either of you, I’ll beat you myself!”

\---

J was wiping down the counter when a woman with lilac skin and an eye-patch entered the bar. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

_“Y-Your Majesty?”_

The woman shook her head. “Not quite,” she said, “My name is Roni. I work with Queen Regina. I understand there was an altercation between you and Henry Swan, and I have come to formally apologize. He is, shall we say, _inexperienced_ when it comes to negotiating. We have come here seeking your help. Emma Swan is missing. She disappeared nearly two years ago, and we have been unable to locate her. Should you help us— and I pray you will— you will be paid seven times your weight in gold.”

J was stunned. “You look just like her. The Queen, I mean. I had no idea she had a sister, much less a twin!”

“I am a clone,” said Roni, “but that is not important right now. Please, will you help us? You are the greatest bounty-hunter in the galaxy. If you cannot find Emma, then _no one_ can.”

J hesitated. “How do I know this isn’t a ruse?”

Roni removed the dark glove from her left hand and rolled up her sleeve, revealing a black dragon tattoo. It spanned nearly the entire length of her forearm. She never once took her eyes off of J. When their eyes met, the bartender gave her a look of unease.

“I trust this is satisfactory for you?”

The bartender gave a slow nod. “It is,” she said.

“Will you join us, then?”

J swallowed. “May I think about it?”

“Of course. We cannot force your hand,” said Roni, “but we strongly encourage it.”

\---

It was the middle of the night, and Roni went outside to have a drink from her flask. She Was halfway through it when she noticed someone approaching the ship. She lowered her flask and brought a hand to her blaster, switching the safety off just in case. She relaxed, however, when she realized it was J. A faint smile graced her lips.

“Have you come to join us?”

J gave a small nod. “I’ve given it some thought. I suppose one last bounty couldn’t hurt.”

She followed Roni onto the ship, where they were met by Henry, a female Draconian, and the holographic face of the computer.

“You’re already acquainted with Henry,” said Roni, “This is Malacoda, his Second-in-Command.” She pointed to the flickering, blue face. “And that handsome fellow over there is Ziggy.”

A smile graced the hologram’s lips. _“Greetings, Miss. Welcome aboard the Scorpion.”_


	2. Orion Boon

J couldn’t sleep. Here she was, on a strange ship full of strange people, questioning her life choices. Why was she doing this? Money? She swore six years ago that she would never take up bounty-hunting again, yet she was doing just that. Maybe the money had nothing to do with it. Maybe she just couldn’t resist the thrill of the hunt. It drew her in, not like a moth to a flame, but rather, like metal to a magnet. She couldn’t stay away no matter how hard she tried, even after all this time.

The ship hadn’t departed yet. There was still time to get up and walk away. But her body wouldn’t budge. She just continued to lie there in this admittedly-comfortable bed, wrapped up in her troubled thoughts and pondering her situation.

This would be the last time she went on a hunt. After she found Emma Swan, she would return to her bar and continue living her simple, peaceful life, serving drinks and making decent money. It wasn’t much, but for her, it was enough.

She couldn’t stop thinking about what Henry had asked her. _‘Are you happy?’_ The fact that he suggested otherwise infuriated her. Of course she was happy! She was happier than she’d ever been while she was a bounty-hunter!

_At least, that was what she kept telling herself._

Her thoughts prevented her from finding rest, so she decided to take a walk instead. She got up out of the bed and went to the door. It slid open without so much as a sound, and she stepped out into the empty corridor. She paused when she saw the light coming from the open door at the end of the narrow hall. She could hear voices, though they were quiet. Still, she recognized them as belonging to Henry and Roni. She crept up towards the door and eavesdropped from the opposite side of the wall.

_“We’re gonna find her, Regina, I just know it.”_

_“Thank the Gods. I can’t bear it, not having her by my side.”_

_“You’ve got to stay strong,”_ said Henry, _“It’s what Ma would want. You and I both know she wouldn’t want us to give up so easily.”_

 _“And we won’t,”_ said the Queen, _“I trust I will see you soon?”_

_“Shouldn’t take more than two days.”_

_“Wonderful. I love you, my little Prince.”_

_“Love you, too, Auntie.”_

After that, there was silence. J stood there without a sound, waiting and listening for something— anything— to happen. It couldn’t have been more than a minute before she heard the Captain begin to sob quietly within the room. She bit her lip when she overheard him start to pray.

 _“Please,”_ he sobbed, _“I don’t know who’s listening— hell, I don’t know if_ anyone _is— but whoever’s out there, I’m begging you, help me. I haven’t seen my mother in two years. I have to find her. I have to know why she disappeared. I have to know where she went, and I have to get her back. Aunt Regina’s not the only one who can’t live without her. Please. I need a sign.”_

\---

J found herself back in bed, staring up at the ceiling while a sickly sensation whirled in the pit of her stomach. She’d said she wanted to see him begging on his knees, but now she had, and she hoped she never saw it again. There was nothing more distressing to her than seeing a child weep for their mother. She turned to look out the window, marveling over the full moon as its pale light flooded into the small room. Tears slipped down her cheeks against her will.

 _“Damn it, Jack,”_ she whispered, _“You’re getting soft.”_

\---

_Somewhere in the galaxy, on a lush island, a lone figure stalked through the dense forest in search of their prey. Their hide was coated in mud, twigs, and leaves. They were one with the trees. The figure stopped suddenly, waiting and listening. Something was coming. Something big. Something angry._

_They turned ever so slowly, scanning the forest with their piercing eyes, and froze upon seeing the colossal creature. It was unnatural. Inorganic. Mechanical. Its voice was deep, almost demonic, but otherwise monotone. Completely void of emotion._

_**“IDENTIFY.”** _

_The figure responded by lifting up their spear in defense. The behemoth interpreted this as a threat._

_**“THREAT DETECTED.”** _

_It raised its arm, on which a cannon was mounted, and aimed it directly at the figure’s head. However, before it had the chance to fire, it was struck in its metallic head by a burst of powerful energy. This resulted in the unnatural creature collapsing with a resounding **CRASH!**_

_The figure looked up in alarm and found a tall woman with a metallic fist and a head of gold standing nearby, panting heavily. She wore tattered clothing. Her pale skin was bruised, slashed, and bloody. She locked eyes with the leaf-clad figure and suddenly, without warning, collapsed._

_Two years later…_

The blonde was sitting up in a tall tree, sharpening the end of a long stick with a stone. Her eyes scanned the forest floor and lo and behold, she spotted it. _The Orion Boon._ It was a colossal beast, covered in fur blacker than black. It had a thick mane, like that of a lion. Its piercing green eyes were serpentine. It had the tusks and the snout of a wild boar. It was, without a doubt, the most vicious creature in all the forest. Thankfully, it was the only one of its kind. No one knew where it came from, or how it had gotten there, but today, it was going to perish once and for all.

And Emma Swan was going to slay it.


	3. Long Live the Queen

Emma leapt onto the beast’s back, holding onto its thick mane for dear life as it attempted to throw her off. She drove her sharpened stick through the back of its neck, causing a torrent of green blood to spill out into its black fur. It let out a terrifying roar of primal rage and anguish, howling in agony. The creature’s cries echoed through the dense forest, but soon, there was only a haunting silence. Emma’s eyes narrowed. This was easy.

_Too easy._

The Orion Boon collapsed beneath her, shaking the forest floor. She ripped the bloody stick from its neck and slowly climbed off of it. She turned and scanned the trees, mimicking the call of a wild bird. Then, she waited and listened, and within minutes, she both heard and felt the ground shaking beneath her feet. Out of the thick tree-line came a colossal machine, its metallic frame painted with orange flames and covered in mud and leaves.

_**“You really got it? I’m impressed, Swan.”** _

Emma smiled. “I got it, alright. I need your help to carry it back.”

**_“Of course.”_ **

The android hoisted up the bloody carcass without difficulty and turned to head back the way it came.

_“Thanks, Gemini.”_

\---

“Alright,” said J, “When exactly did she disappear, and under what circumstances?”

“It was two years ago,” said Henry, “She just _vanished_ one night. No letter. No message. Nothing. She took August’s memory-drive out of the Apollo and left. We suspect she was going somewhere and didn’t want anyone to know about it, but that isn’t like her at all. Ma would never keep secrets from us.”

J folded her arms. “Well, it seems to me like that was _exactly_ what she did. May I see this memory-drive?”

“It’s back home,” Henry told her.

“And where is ‘home?’ The Capital?”

“No,” Roni said quietly, “The Capital was destroyed. Skráv Jangála is no more.”

She regarded J with a look of sadness and remorse masking her face.

“Where are we going, then?”

Roni turned and headed for the door. _“Drakken’haem.”_

Once she was gone, J looked to Henry and Malacoda in mild confusion.

“So, what’s up with her?”

Henry was visibly reluctant. “I think it would be better if you asked her, though I can’t guarantee she’ll give you an answer.”

“Hm. Alright. Well then, how long will it take to reach Drakken’haem?”

“Just one more day. I’ve got the ship in hyper-drive.”

J frowned. “Wait. Who’s piloting this thing?”

Ziggy’s face flickered to life from the panel. _“I am, Miss. I assure you, I am an impeccable Helmsman.”_

“I’ve never heard of a Captain letting their ship steer itself.”

“Yes, well, I’m unlike any Captain you’ve ever seen,” said Henry.

“Yes,” said J, “You most certainly are.”

\---

Henry knocked on the door. “Roni?”

_“Yes?”_

“May I come in?”

There was a pause. _“Very well.”_

The door slid open and Henry was stunned to find Roni hunched over her desk, her dark jacket draped over the chair and her eye-patch resting beside her. She had her head propped up with one hand. The other was writing something down in an old journal.

“You, uh,” Henry paused, “You doing okay?”

Roni turned to look at him with her good eye. The other was closed, and there was a thin scar trailing across it, reaching from just above her eyebrow to just below the eye. The brunette offered a solemn smile. There were streaks of gray throughout her dark hair. She was by no means ancient, but she had a certain air of wisdom to her that seemed to come inevitably with age.

“I keep thinking J really does have it made.”

“What do you mean?”

“A simple life. A small village on a small planet, serving drinks and making decent money. It sounds peaceful. It sounds like a life _truly_ worth living.”

“Is that what you would want?” Henry asked her.

Roni let out a sad sigh. “I don’t know yet. All I can think about is how much I miss your mother.”

Henry was silent for a moment. “You and me both,” he said quietly, “We’ll find her, Roni.”

“How can you know that for sure?”

“Because I have hope,” said the Captain, “and I know Regina does, too.”

Roni stood up and walked over to him without so much a word, pulling him into a tight embrace. He was quick to return the gesture.

“I love you, Henry,” the brunette murmured.

“Love you too, Roni.”

\---

Regina was pacing her room when she heard a knock at the door. “Yes?”

 _“Regina?”_ It was Maleficent. _“May I come in? We need to talk.”_

“Yes, of course.”

The former-Sovereign entered, bearing a look of unease. She was wringing her hands together, visibly nervous. Regina frowned in mild concern when she noticed this.

“What is it, Mal? What troubles you so?”

Maleficent hesitated. “I have this awful feeling that something terrible is going to happen, and I just can’t seem to shake it.”

“I’m sure it is nothing—”

“No!” Maleficent said quickly, “Please, Regina, do not disregard this. I did that once, and because of my foolishness, my sister lost her life.”

Regina just nodded slowly. “I’m sorry, Mal. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Do not apologize, Regina. It doesn’t suit you.”

\---

The villagers looked up in surprise when they saw the metallic titan come marching back through the trees, carrying a horrific beast that dripped with green blood. Not far behind the colossal machine was the Golden One.

“She has returned!” cried one of the villagers, “The Queen has returned!”

The mechanical giant dropped the black beast in the center of the village. The Golden One bore a proud smile. Her pale body was painted with the blood of the Boon. Her eyes were green like the forest. Her hair looked as though it was spun from solid gold. It shimmered like the morning sun. She was truly a Goddess, if there ever was one.

“She has slain the dreaded Boon!”

Another villager threw up his fist. _“Long live the Queen!”_

The others did the same. “Long live the Queen!”


	4. The Mo'rui

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mavu- the moon of Drakken'haem (pronounced maw-voo)
> 
> Mo'ruung Denat- the Jungle Planet (pronounced mo-roong den-not)
> 
> Mo'rui- the People of the Trees (pronounced mo-roo-ee)
> 
> Au'Varri- the Orion Boon (pronounced ow-var-ee)
> 
> Amon'Vaf- literally means Beast Blade (pronounced ah-moan voff)
> 
> Al'Abass- the Mo'rui underworld; literally means Burning Pit (pronounced all uh-boss)

_Henry was out playing in the field with Malacoda while Emma and Lilith looked on in amusement. The Sovereign turned to her blonde friend with a soft smile._

_“So,” she said, “what will you do once the kid’s grown?”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“I mean he’ll be a man someday. He won’t need you to take care of him.”_

_“I’m not going to abandon him.”_

_Lilith shook her head. “That isn’t what I said.”_

_The blonde sighed. “I know. I just— well— I don’t know what I’ll do when he grows up. Ever since I gave birth, all I’ve wanted to do is protect him. I can’t imagine not having him around. He’s my whole world, Lilith.”_

_The Sovereign placed a hand on the Captain’s shoulder. “I understand, Emma. I feel the same way with Malacoda. It just comes with being a mother.”_

_Years passed, and Emma was equal-parts grateful and saddened to watch her boy grow up before her very eyes. It was just a few weeks before Henry’s eighteenth birthday when Emma received a strange transmission while on the Apollo. The voice that came through the transmission was deep. It was mechanical. Clearly a machine._

**_E_ _MMA SWAN: YOU ARE TO COME TO THE PLANET OF_ MO’RUUNG DENAT _WITH YOUR STARSHIP. YOU ARE TO COME ALONE. REMOVE THE MEMORY-DRIVE FROM THE CONSOLE, AND_ TELL NO ONE. _IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY WITH THESE DEMANDS, THE PEOPLE OF DRAKKEN’HAEM SHALL BE ANNIHILATED, ALONG WITH YOU, YOUR ALLIES, AND THAT HAPPY FAMILY OF YOURS._**

_That was where it ended._

_Emma struggled to remain calm. “August, locate the source.”_

“Already on it,” _said August,_ “It appears to be originating from Mavu.”

_“What? But it’s uninhabitable!”_

“Not if you are aboard a starship. The signal is fuzzy. It is as though they are attempting to block it, but do not know how to operate their own ship properly.”

_Emma scoffed. “This guy’s either an idiot, a nutcase, or both. I’m willing to bet it’s both. What about you, August?”_

“Irrelevant,” _said the computer,_ “We must send a squadron to Mavu, lest we end up being obliterated.”

 _The Captain slammed down her metallic fist. “They will obliterate us if we_ do! _I have to go alone, August. I’ll deal with this myself! I’m not about to risk the lives of my family, or an entire planet! I won’t stand for it!”_

“But Captain, you cannot go it alone,” _August argued._

 _“I can, and I_ must, _if it means I’ll be preventing_ genocide!”

“I think this is highly unwise. You must bring backup.”

_“No,” Emma said firmly, “I’m a living star. I’m all the backup I need.”_

“If you’re sure.”

_“I am,” said the Captain, “and I hate to have to do this, but I’m going to have to shut you down for a little while.”_

_August frowned._ “What? I do not understand.”

_“Sorry, buddy.”_

“Captain, wait—”

 _Emma removed August’s memory-drive as instructed and wiped the last ten minutes from the disk. She contemplated leaving a note,_ _but decided against it. She figured she wouldn’t be gone all that long. She left the memory-drive in her room within the fortress and snuck back onto the Apollo in the dead of night. She would take care of things and return as quickly as she could._

Mo’ruung Denat— _the Jungle Planet— would take roughly seven days to reach. Maybe even six, if she went at maximum speed, but that would require a great deal of fuel. She left Drakken’haem feeling guilty, but knowing she could explain it all once she returned. Of course, Regina would be furious with her for leaving so suddenly, but it was a risk worth taking._

_She couldn’t allow an entire planet to be wiped out. She would not take such a threat lightly, but she had to wonder just how it would be possible. She thought back to her childhood. Surely they wouldn’t have thought to construct a Death Star! If so, she prayed she could hit the exhaust port._

_She ventured to the Jungle Planet in the Apollo, and not long after her departure from Drakken’haem, she realized she was being followed. No. Not followed._ Pursued _was more like it. She knew that whoever was aboard that mysterious ship had to be behind the alarming transmission._

_Before she knew it, she was being forced to crash-land in the Jungle Planet. She was out of fuel, and there was no escaping her pursuers.  The ship was damaged, sparking and smoking in the middle of the jungle.  She exited the Apollo with minor injuries, none of them enough to really slow her down. She just needed to be faster than the freaks chasing her. It was only after she jumped up into a tree that she got a proper glimpse of her attacker. It was a fifteen-foot android, tearing its way through the dense forest in search of her. She hated to think of what it would do once it found her._

**_EMMA SWAN: SHOW YOURSELF, OR I SHALL ELIMINATE EVERY LAST LIFE-FORM ON THIS PLANET UNTIL I FIND YOU!_ **

_Emma reached for her gun, swiftly yet silently firing at the back of the android, damaging it severely, but not nearly enough to destroy it. She gasped as the metallic menace turned around, shooting at her with the cannon built into its arm._

_She narrowly escaped the line of fire, jumping onto a different branch and proceeding to leap from one tree to the other. She continued on like this until the thundering footsteps of the android became faint rumbles in the ground. She panted heavily, scanning the forest floor below._

_She spotted what appeared to be a moving bush in the distance. It was too far away to make out many details, but just close enough that she could tell it was a person covered from head-to-toe in leaves and mud. They were carrying a spear. Hunting, no doubt. She didn’t know much about the people of the Jungle Planet. What she_ did _know was that they were bipedal, cat-like creatures that called themselves_ Mo’rui— _the People of the Trees. They were renowned for their incredible hunting skills, though they were primitive when it came to just about everything else._

_She waited there in silence, not moving. Not speaking. Just watching and listening for the android. Soon, it appeared, only it began chasing after the unsuspecting hunter, rather than her._

_The hunter stopped suddenly, turning ever so slowly and scanning the forest with their piercing eyes. They froze when seeing the android._

**_“_ _IDENTIFY.”_ **

_The hunter responded by lifting up their spear in defense. The android interpreted this as a threat._

**_“THREAT DETECTED.”_ **

_The android raised its arm, on which a cannon was mounted, and aimed it directly at the hunter’s head. However, before it had the chance to fire, Emma jumped down from the trees, took a second shot and fired a laser into its head once more. The android collapsed with a resounding_ **CRASH!**

_The hunter looked up in alarm and found Emma standing there, panting heavily and bleeding. She locked eyes with the hunter and suddenly, without warning, slipped into unconsciousness._

_Later, when Emma awoke, she found her bloody clothing stripped away and her wounds cleaned and bandaged. She was lying on a warm bed in a small hut with a fire burning in the center. There was a Mo’rui crouching over the fire. They appeared to be female. Emma offered her a soft smile._

_“Hello.”_

_The Mo’rui woman cocked her head in mild confusion, studying the blonde curiously. Finally, she spoke, and Emma was stunned by how fluent her Galan was._

_“Why have you come to our world?”_

_“I was chased here by that android.”_

_“Android? Do you mean the armored creature you slayed?”_

_“Yes,” said Emma, “but it isn’t exactly ‘armor.’ That is its body. It isn’t flesh like you and I.”_

_“Is it truly alive, then? I could not sense a soul within this ‘android.’”_

_“That’s complicated, but I suppose the short answer is_ no.”

_“I see. What is your name, Golden One?”_

_“Emma. Emma Swan.”_

_“Emma-Emma Swan?”_

_The blonde chuckled and shook her head. “No. Just Emma Swan.”_

_“_ _Ah, of course. It is an honor to make your acquaintance,_ Emma Swan. _My name is Ba’Karr. I am the Shamaness of this village. The people have given you their blessing, for you have saved us all from that unnatural creature. Most importantly, you saved the life of my sister, Sha’Garr. She is our greatest hunter. As for you, I have yet to make sense of you. You fell from the sky in your strange chariot, and that creature followed. What are you?”_

 _“I’m an Astrellan,” said Emma, “A living star. Some might say I’m a_ god.”

 _“And what do_ you _say, Emma Swan?”_

_Emma smiled. “I’m just me.”_

_It took a few days for Emma’s wounds to close up. Finally, she was able to leave the Shamaness’ hut. The Mo’rui were completely in awe of her. She was truly unlike anything they had ever seen before, with her smooth, pale skin, her golden tresses, and of course, her metallic fist. It was because of her hair, and her status as their Savior, that the Mo’rui people came to know her as_ the Golden One.

_Not long after her arrival, Emma began tinkering with the android while the Mo’rui looked on in a mix of fascination and unease. She was shocked to find a brain at the core of the android, which meant it was technically a cyborg. Who was this person? Who had they been, before fixing their consciousness to a bionic shell? Emma had never seen anything quite like it. It was the ultimate body modification._

_It took some time, but she was eventually able to stimulate the brain and connect it to the cyborg’s audio-panel. Finally, she could receive the answers she had so desperately sought._

_“Who are you?” she asked._

**_“_ ** _**My name,”** said the cyborg, **“is**_ **Gemini.”**

_Emma’s blood ran cold. “And why are you here, Gemini?”_

**_“I do not know. I cannot remember anything before this very moment, other than my own name. That is the one thing that has not escaped me. Who, might I ask, are you? Are you my creator?”_ **

_“No, I didn’t create you. My name is Emma. You were trying to hurt me, Gemini. Do you remember that?”_

**_“Apologies, Emma. I do not know why I was attempting to hurt you, but whatever the reason, it is no longer my goal. I wish only to know what it is that I am, and where I came from.”_ **

_“You had a body once, Gemini. A_ real _body. You were my clone. Near-identical, but not quite. Now, for one reason or another, you are like this, though I had assumed you were dead. I don’t know how you got this way, or why, but I need to be sure that you will never harm me or any of the villagers here. I’ve dismantled your arm-cannon. I just need to hear you swear to me that you will do no harm to any of us.”_

**_“I swear to you, Emma, that I will not harm you or anyone else. Unless of course, someone is attacking you. I will protect you and the villagers. You brought me back from the darkness. You may not have created me, but I owe you my very existence. I will do whatever you ask of me.”_ **

_And thus, Gemini lived on as a shadow of her former self, guarding the Golden One and the Mo’rui people from anyone— and anything— that dared to attack them. Months went by without incident from Gemini. She became a close companion to Emma, never once showing any signs of going rogue. She even got a bit of a paint-job from the Astrellan._

_Each night, Emma, Gemini, and all the Mo’rui would gather around the fire and Emma would tell stories of her long, eventful life, both on Earth and on this end of the universe. She told them of Ziggy Stardust, and of the one known as_ the Boss. _She described her adventures to different worlds with her starship crew. As enamored by her stories as the Mo’rui people were, the ones involving her family were the most popular, especially those revolving around Henry._

_Family was sacred to the Mo’rui. The bonds they shared were unbreakable. To them, family did not always mean blood. Whoever bore the most children was believed to lead a good, happy life, and would undoubtedly rise up to the Heavens once their spirits left their bodies behind._

_Emma did not just find a friend in Gemini. She found one in Sha’Garr, as well. Each morning at sunrise, Sha’Garr would leave with the other hunters for the day and return only when the moon was at its peak. They never came back empty-handed. She truly was the greatest hunter. It was the women who hunted, for it was in their nature to track down and provide food for their young. The men were the ones who guarded the village alongside Gemini, easily the strongest of them all._

_Nearly a year after Emma’s arrival, Sha’Garr declared that the Golden One was worthy of becoming their Queen. The Mo’rui agreed, all except for one: a man called_ Amon’Vaf. _He challenged her to a fight to the death. Whoever survived would rule the Mo’rui. There was just one catch. Emma was not allowed to use her metallic hand. After much consideration, she accepted his terms._

 _Emma removed her hand, leaving it in Gemini’s care, and proceeded to face off against Amon’Vaf, whose name literally meant_ Beast Blade. _As was customary, they each fought naked, and were given the chance to choose a weapon. Emma chose a spear. Amon’Vaf, of course, chose his colossal blade, thinking it would make him victorious. In reality, it only slowed him down._

_He swung at Emma with his mighty blade, which she dodged with ease. She ducked down and jabbed him in the leg with her spear. He roared in pain, jumping back and stumbling, which resulted in him landing on his back. He stared up in horror as Emma loomed over him and brought down her spear. He swiftly rolled out of the way, but the tip of the spear nicked his ear. He swung at her again, unable to stand up, but he was still convinced that he would become King in the end. Unfortunately for him, he received a spear through the wrist, causing him to roar in agony as he dropped his sword, and again when Emma ripped it back out. She held the tip of the spear to his throat._

_“Any last words, Amon’Vaf?” she asked him._

_He glared hatefully at her with his catlike eyes._ _“You shall be Queen in name only. I long to see you in the fiery depths of Al’Abass!”_

_She then drove the spear through his windpipe, and he continued to lock eyes with her until the life faded from within them. He died in the crimson sand, and that very night his body was placed upon a pyre. The villagers mourned him, yet they also scorned him, for his arrogance brought him great shame in battle. It was no doubt the reason he had fallen so easily, and to an outsider, no less._

_And so, Emma Swan was declared Queen of the Mo’rui. Her first challenge, as Queen, was to track down and slay the dreaded Orion Boon._ _It took many months, but at long last, she succeeded, and now, the beast was dead._

There was just something about it that didn’t sit right with Emma. The hunt had been difficult, but the kill had been too easy. It was almost as if the creature had been deliberately placed in her path.

But who could have done such a thing? And more importantly, _why?_

The Mo’rui celebrated Emma’s success in killing the Orion Boon— or as they called it, the _Au’Varri—_ and upon locking eyes with Sha’Garr, Emma was met with a knowing gaze. That was when she knew. It was Sha’Garr who had set the Au’Varri in her path.

That same night, Emma invited the hunter to speak in private. When Sha’Garr entered the Queen’s hut, she was stunned to find the blonde resting with her back against the carcass of the Au’Varri.

“Why?” asked the Queen.

Sha’Garr tilted her head in confusion. “Why, _what?”_

“You set this beast in my path, didn’t you? Why’d you do it, Sha’Garr?”

Silence fell over them like a blanket, but it was the hunter who tore her way through it first. She let out a heavy sigh and gave a slow nod.

“I did,” she said quietly, “I did it because I wanted you to succeed, and because you are my friend, Emma. You are an excellent Queen. There is no greater candidate than you. It is as though you were destined to rule.”

“Yes, well, I learned from the best,” said Emma, “but I wish you hadn’t done that. I feel like I have cheated. It is you who should be Queen.”

Sha’Garr shook her head. “I’m afraid I must respectfully disagree. My place is among the hunters. I was born to hunt. It is in my blood.”

“Very well,” said Emma, “but being Queen doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to hunt.”

“I suppose that’s a fair point,” said Sha’Garr, “but still, I must decline. If I were to be Queen, I would first have to end your life, and that is something I cannot— and _will not—_ do. Not ever.”

Emma stood up, stepped around the fire burning in the center of her hut, and pulled the hunter into a tight embrace.

“You have no idea how much it means to me, hearing you say that.”

“I would imagine it means a great deal,” said Sha’Garr.

Emma laughed softly. “You would imagine right.”

“Emma?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think you will ever reunite with your family?”

Emma let out a sad sigh. “I can only hope.”


End file.
